


For Coffee and Council

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Murder and Consequences [5]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8071207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: As the songs go, sometimes you only get by with a little help from your friends.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna throw a bit of Injustice Clark and Diana ideology in here but, obviously didn’t. Tim has already called Dick at this point, and calls him right after Clark calls him back to tell Dick Bruce is in Kansas. Diana also stays in Smallville as long as Bruce is there, and she and Clark totally parent him. Like 1 million percent.

He was in his parents’ farm house. Munching on a late morning bowl of cereal at the kitchen table, flipping through the national news channels. The conservative, the liberal and the factual.

He noticed they each had a breaking news bar, kept catching them as they went to commercial, or were just ending the piece. Had only just caught a view of the Gotham skyline, and the word ‘dead?’ before his phone was ringing.

It was Tim.

He sounded frantic. Asked if Clark had seen Bruce, and, as an afterthought, if he’d seen Jason or Damian, or Dick for that matter. If they were in Kansas, or if any of them had contacted him in the last twelve hours.

Clark said no, and agreed to, when Tim begged him to ask the League to look out for them. Took a leap and asked if this was about the breaking news the TV stations were talking about. Reluctantly, Tim said yes, probably, said he’d send him a video that would explain basically everything – though warned him it was terrible.

Tim hung up without much else. And two minutes later, Clark received an email. He saw it was sent to Diana as well, as he slowly opened the video player.

Barely two minutes in, and Clark thought he was going to be sick. Watched as the Joker put his hands on Bruce’s son, on a _child_. Watched as he threw the boy around, taunted him, _threatened_ him and those he loved most.

Almost dropped the phone when Damian killed him.

He sighed, and slowly put the phone down as the video ended. Took his glasses off of his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

_Jesus Christ._

It wasn’t long before he heard the whistle of flight enter the Smallville airspace. Knew immediately that Diana was on her way to him. He slowly got up, made his way to the front door. She landed as he stepped out onto the porch, her eyes wide and sad.

And she had just opened her mouth to speak, when Clark heard a heartbeat. One he could never mistake.

He held up his hand as he trotted down the front steps. “He’s coming.”

Diana’s mouth clamped shut, and she looked towards the road. Sure enough, minutes later a car came speeding down the empty road, jerking into the Kent Farm drive as soon as it was able.

The car squealed to a stop feet from them, and rocked gently from the momentum. It took a second, but the car was shut off, and as the dust settled they could see Bruce sitting in the driver seat.

He sat there a moment, head bowed. Hands still tight on the steering wheel. Clark could hear his heart pounding, blood rushing, and-

“He’s still in his Batman uniform.”  Diana whispered.

That was true. Clark could see the Bat symbol behind the steering wheel. There was no cowl and no gloves. No belt either, just the uniform and the boots.

Neither of them moved, and for a while, Bruce didn’t either. Just sat in the car. Then, suddenly, he took a deep inhale and shoved the car door open.

Much like Diana, when he stood, he was opening his mouth to speak, but Diana cut him off.

“Bruce.” She called gently.

“…We know.” Clark finished.

Bruce’s shoulders dropped, and if it wasn’t Batman, they might’ve been afraid he’d collapse. Instead he just leaned against the open car door, before pushing away from it and walking forward.

When he was close enough, Diana reached out, and wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him, as Clark moved ahead of them to get the house door open.

The group moved into the kitchen, where the small TV on the counter was still playing the news. Clark immediately shut it off – they were talking about the Joker now, of course.

Clark immediately started the coffee machine, despite it being closer to noon than not. He leaned against the counter as Diana sat Bruce in a chair and took her place next to him.

Bruce looked like shit. The five o’clock shadow already covering his face, his eyes bloodshot, hair a mess.

“Tim sent us the security footage.” Clark whispered. “…Is Damian o-”

“I don’t know.” Bruce’s voice was hoarse, like he’d been screaming. And it was a long drive between Gotham and Smallville – maybe he had been. “I don’t know how Damian is. I don’t know how _Jason_ is. All I know is Damian killed the Joker, Jason and Dick came upon him first right after, and…spirited him away to god-knows-where.”

“Why did they take him somewhere?” Diana asked. “So he wouldn’t get arrested, or…”

“To keep him away from me.” Bruce mumbled. “They…they thought I’d be angry at him or something, or arrest him myself or…I don’t _know_.”

Silence.

“…Dick was still there by the time Tim and I arrived.” Bruce whispered. “He explained that Jason found Damian first, and by then it was all too late. He got there not long later, and said that running was his idea. He told Jason to take Damian out of the city, talk to no one, and that he’d follow soon after.”

The coffee machine whirred, and liquid began to drop as Clark asked, “…Well, were they right?”

Bruce looked up.

“Are you angry?” Clark asked plainly. “Are you going to arrest him?”

There was a flash of anger on Bruce’s face at the accusation, but it softened immediately.

“…Maybe Dick _was_ the only level-headed one in all this.” Bruce admitted. “…Because I don’t know.”

“Well, let’s go one at a time.” Clark offered, when the coffee machine beeped. He turned around and immediately started pouring cups for his friends. “Are you angry?”

“…He killed a man.” Bruce thought out loud.

“A terrible man.” Diana offered. “A _monster_ , really. Your son might’ve just saved hundreds of lives.”

“He promised me he wouldn’t.” Bruce tried, though they could all feel how half-hearted his argument was. “He _swore_ to me, years ago.”

“It could be argued self defense.” Clark returned, coming to the table with three mugs. Bruce looked up at him quizzically and Clark reminded: “…Tim send us the security video.”

Bruce nodded solemnly. “And that’s a problem right there – because self defense, the first few hits, I’ll give him that, yes.” He took a sip of the coffee. “But after that. When the Joker fell and _stayed_ down. He wasn’t being attacked anymore, and he kept _hitting_. If it were anyone else, would we still call it that?”

Diana glanced at Clark, then reached out to hold Bruce’s arm.

“Bruce, you’re trying to be Batman here. To be fair and equal and all of that.” She hummed. “But this is your _son_ , so no one would blame you if you weren’t.”

“You don’t have to be, here.” Clark agreed. “You can want to protect him, instead of turning him in. That’s not…you’re not compromising your own morals, here.”

Bruce stared down into his coffee.

“I mean, right now, Diana and I don’t envy you.” Clark continued. “If it were Conner, or Donna, or Cassie or Kara…I think we’d be struggling with this too.”

“I don’t think I would turn one of my sisters in.” Diana said, thoughtfully. “If one of them killed a man just as awful as the Joker, I think they’d have done the world a service. Maybe even think they should be admired as _true_ heroes.”

“If nothing else, Conner or Kara would be my first worry.” Clark returned. “I mean, you saw Damian in the footage, he looked downright _traumatized_ afterwards. I think I’d want to get them to a hospital, or into proper care before worrying about-”

“I hid the sword.” Bruce said suddenly. Both metas stopped and looked at him. “Dick…he had it when Tim and I got there. He gave it to me, and…I don’t know why. When I heard Gordon and his men coming, I hid it in the Batmobile, and didn’t mention it to anyone.”

Clark blinked in surprise. “So…are you more torn up that your eleven-year-old son killed a man, or that you hid evidence to protect him?”

Bruce didn’t answer. Just stared down into his coffee. “…What do I do?”

And it sounded so similar to Damian, on the tape. When he realized the Joker was dead, when he realized it was at his hand, and quietly asked _: “What did I just do?”_

The three sat in silence for a few minutes. Listened, when they heard Ma and Pa come back from the fields, chatting jovially on their way to the barn.

“…Do you want a real answer, or is that a rhetorical question?” Clark asked. “Because, Bruce, if it were me? I’d protect my son.”

Bruce glanced up.

“Because – and I’m not…I’m not trying to kick you while you’re down, but – this was _your_ fight, Bruce.” Clark said sternly. “It’s because of you he was Robin in the first place. The reason any of your kids picked up _masks_ , in the first place. Talia trained him to be an assassin to please _you_. To make him strong so he could _fight_ at _your_ side. If it wasn’t for Batman – or Superman or Wonder Woman, because we’re at fault here too – maybe none of your kids would have ever been out there to face that madman in the first place.”

“He was being attacked, and he was scared and alone.” Diana added. “He didn’t have a choice.”

“You watched the tape, you heard the Joker.” Clark continued. “If Damian didn’t fight, the Joker’d have killed him. If Damian didn’t fight, the Joker would have gone after _Jason_.”

Bruce just blinked.

“Now, should he have stopped after the Joker fell? Maybe, maybe not.” Clark shrugged. “None of us know for certain what would have happened. But that’s something you can talk to him about. When you find him.”

“…How far did the tape Tim sent you go?” Bruce asked.

“To when Jason walked in.” Diana answered.

Bruce nodded slowly. “After…” His breath seemed to catch. “After Dick got there, Damian was crying. Rambling about how I’ll hate him, now that he’s done this, but I won’t hate Jason anymore, so it was okay.”

“And do you?” Diana asked immediately. “ _Do you_ hate Damian, for what he’s done? _Are_ you angry with him? You never really answered.”

“No.” Bruce breathed immediately, dropping his face into his hands. “ _God_ , no. He’s my son – _Jason_ is my son – of course, I don’t. I’m _not_. I- I could _never_ -”

“Are you disappointed in him?”

“I…no. Not with him.” Bruce assured, dropping his hands. “The situation, yes, what _happened_ , _yes_ , but not with-”

“Then you need to find him, and you need to tell him that.” Clark decided. “You need to be honest with him – and maybe Jason too – that while you’re _struggling_ with what happened, you don’t _hate_ him. Either of them.”

“…What do you think Jason thinks?” Bruce whispered.

“I’m betting he thinks you blame him for this.” Clark said honestly. “That you think he somehow _told_ Damian to do this.”

“…Have you ever arrested the Red Hood, for his crimes?” Diana asked gently.

“No.” Bruce answered truthfully. “Dick did, once. But…after he escaped from prison, no. I confronted him in private, told him I was disappointed, probably made him feel alienated, but…mostly just turned a blind eye, and called him when I needed him.”

Clark paused, took a sip of his coffee, and hummed. “You were never going to turn Damian over to the authorities, were you?”

Bruce smirked and it was bitter. “Of course not.” Back to a frown. “I just…needed your council. To make sure I was thinking straight, or doing the right things.”

“Then go to him, is our advice.” Diana urged. “Find your boys. Protect them. Fix this as only a father can.”

Bruce paused, and then nodded.

“And Bruce?” Clark added. Soft and unsure. Bruce looked up at him. “Ground Robin.”

Bruce looked away in thought.

“Don’t let him go back out there.” Clark pushed. “It’s the only way you can _really_ protect him – both in general, and from this _ever_ happening again.”

“You say that is if he _can_ go back out there.” Diana retorted harshly. “You saw the same child I did, Clark. This is not something that boy will _ever_ recover from.”

Bruce didn’t acknowledge Diana. “…I was once told Batman _needs_ a Robin.”

“Sure.” Clark shrugged. “But I think Bruce Wayne needs his son more.”

Bruce snorted a laugh. Then another one. Suddenly he was laughing, but immediately threw his hands over his eyes, shielding them. Within seconds, those laughs turned to quiet, near _silent_ , sobs.

Diana stood, and wrapped her arms around him. Stroking his hair as he leaned into her. Clark smiled grimly as he stood, put a comforting hand on Bruce’s shoulder.

“I’ll call Tim and let him know where you are.” He whispered. Then to Diana: “I’m going to call Kon to have him check on Tim and Cassandra while I get the guest room ready.”

Diana just nodded, holding Bruce close.

Bruce’s wails followed him up the stairs, even as he called Tim. Tim was grateful for the knowledge, and – now that Clark knew what was going on – sounded exhausted. Clark suggested he get some sleep, that there was nothing else any of them could do for right now, before hanging up to call his own son, to make sure that happened.

When he got into the guest room, Clark couldn’t fight the urge to turn on the television. The news was still talking about it. Pictures of the Joker, of the crime scene. Already debating if this was a crime or not, if the killer should be considered a criminal or a hero.

But all he could see was Damian. That little boy covered in blood, breathing heavy while he stood over the body. All he could see was a father heartbroken at his kitchen table. A brother frantic because he didn’t know where anyone was.

As he shut the TV back off, and went in search of sheets – he’d force Bruce to get some sleep if it killed him – he sighed.

So much for protecting the innocent. So much for saving kids.

So much for superheroes.

(Because where was Damian’s, when he needed them most?)


End file.
